Davido denies being signed on D’banj’s label

Fast rising singer, Davido has denied that he’s signed under D’banj’s record label, D’Banj Records.

During an interview with the pop star expressed respect for the D’banj and said although they’re working together, he is still an independent artist under his own label. ‘I am not signed under his label at the moment. We are working together and he has business for me and we will see what the future holds’ he said.

The 19-year-old, who recently launched his debut album also talked about his success, which he calls ‘sudden and unexpected.’ According to him, the secret behind his fast fame is something he doesn’t understand, but is grateful for: ‘Everything is faith. I cannot really explain how it happened. I don’t know how it happened…I did not plan all this.’

He also talked about his relationship with his father, saying ‘My father is a successful man, he works very hard and he is one of my mentors. I wish I could be like him.’

Davido, currently a 300 level student of Babcock University, co-runs his HKN label along with his cousins and label mates, Shina Rambo and B Red.

Stevie Wonder files for divorce

Stevland Morris, better known as Stevie Wonder, has called it quits with his wife of 11 years.

According to divorce documents which leaked online, the blind singer-keyboardist has been separated from wife Kai Millard Morris since October 2009.

Wonder is asking for joint custody of the couple’s two boys, ages 10 and 7, and has agreed to pay both spousal and child support.

Morris might not be going home with much when the court approves the spilt, as Stevie amassed his wealth well before he tied the knot with her in 2001.

The 62-year-old has been married before – to Motown singer Syreeta Wright from 1970 until their divorce in 1972. He has seven children from both marriages.

Keagan wins Big Brother Stargame

I Africa has decided that the crown for this year’s edition of Big Brother Stargame show goes to 22-year-old intern manager Keagan.

The announcement was made few minutes ago by regular host, IK Osakioduwa during the grand finale of the 91 day show. Keagan became winner after winning for himself a huge chunk of the total votes ahead of the five other finalists including Lady May, Wati, Prezzo, Talia and Kyle.

The tension was on an all-time high as IK announced Wati as 6th, Kylie 5th, Talia 4th, Lady May 3rd, leaving Prezzo and Keagan as top finalists.

The grand finale proved to be worth the preparations as musicians D’banj, Naeto C, Sarkodi, Navio and MC Khuli Chana treated the audience to exciting performances in preparation for the tension typical of a Big Brother Africa’s grand finale.

The tension came as soon as the music ended and regular host, I.K made to unveil the winner, inviting all the contestants to stand on a line after which he announced who the winner was.

Keagan will now henceforth enjoy the title of BBA winner 2012 along with a mouth-watering sum of $ 300, 000, cash prize for the show.

Big Brother Stargame kicked off on Sunday, May 6 2012 with 35 housemates who were initially divided into the Upville and Downville houses. Gradually, the number reduced till the final six, out of which the winner emerged.

The annual show is currently in its seventh edition and has been won in the past by Nigerians, Kevin Chuwang Pam, Uti Nwachukwu, Karen Igho.

Davido Fights with Taxi Driver Over

 Girlfriend

A taxi driver, Femi Ajibola, will never forget July 1, 2012 in a hurry. At about 5.30 pm on that day, he received a phone call from a young woman in the Lekki area of Lagos and had quickly answered the subsequent invitation to pick her up.

“The lady introduced her as Susie. She called me to come and pick her and her friend. They told me to come pick them up at Mobolaji Estate near Lekki Second Roundabout. Later, I took them to a hotel at Lekki Phase I to meet one of their friends.

“From there we left for Beni Apartment in Victoria Island. They said that I should wait for them and promised to be back soon. Not long afterwards, one of the girls began to scream as she was coming towards my car. Behind her, I saw David Adeleke (Davido) and four of his bouncers.

“The girl was running towards me. I think they men had assaulted her. She said I should open the door for her so that she would enter. I opened the door for her; as she was about to enter the car, Davido caught up with her and slapped her face,” Ajibola said.

In a bid to save the girl from further assault, Ajibola switched on the engine of his cab and was about to drive off when the youthful singer suddenly dealt him a slap.

The cabbie said, “He left the girl and faced me. He said I was the one that brought the girls, that I am their boyfriend. He knocked my face against the steering wheel of the cab. This made blood begin to come out from my ear drums. He seized my car keys and in the process, injured me.

“Before I knew what was going on, his four bouncers began to beat me up. They beat me severely and took my car keys from me and chased me away. This happened around 11 pm. I went to report the matter at the Bar Beach Police Station, which was the nearest one. I was asked to come back the next morning to report the case.”

Unfortunately, Ajibola had just taken delivery of the vehicle he was using for his transport business and had not paid the dealer in full before the incident. He said that the balance of N100,000 was in the car before the incident had happened. In the whole confusion, he could not pick the money as he was ordered to leave the car by the bouncers.

“I had taken delivery of the vehicle about two weeks before the incident. I had paid my dealer N50,000 and the other N100,000 was in the car because I could not pay it in the bank. The money was in the car and since they had sent me away from the car, I could not retrieve it.

“The following day, I did not find the money in the cab. They did not even let me wind the car windows up before they chased me out. I noticed that the car was ransacked. I managed to obtain Davido’s phone number and called him. But he did not pick his call. So I sent him a text message. Thirty minutes after I sent him the message, someone picked up the call and promised to pass the message to him. I did not get my car key throughout that day. I went to the police station to file a report,” Ajibola said.

“When all efforts to contact Davido proved futile, the police had to go to Susie. Unfortunately, she was of no help.”

“On the fourth day, I went to Susie’s house with the police. The ladies said they were not the ones that beat me. They said the only help they could render was to give me Davido’s address and that they had since settled their differences. The whole point of the police visit was to use the girls to get to Davido, but the girls made a phone call to an aunt of theirs and the policemen left them, saying that they were not the ones that assaulted me,” the cab driver said.

CRIME DIGEST learnt that the genesis of the fight was because the singer was allegedly caught cheating on his girlfriend.

Ajibola continued, I learnt that Davido was dating one of the girls I picked up. They went to his hotel room and caught him with another girl who was their friend. This is what I learnt caused the fight. The police collected Davido’s phone number and called him, but he kept asking them if they knew whose son he was.

“He warned the policemen not to threaten or intimidate him. They in turn told him that they were just inviting him for questioning and not to arrest him. Since then, the effort to get him has not been forthcoming. I had to go to the hospital because I was really injured. Davido gave me a blow to the ear which made it to bleed.

“One day, the DPO of the station assured me that they would make sure they get him. He was irritated by Davido’s boasting that he was immune to arrest. On July 13, one Sharon Adeleke asked me to come and collect the key of my car at 1004. I told her to come and meet me at the police station. She did not turn up till the DPO intervened.

“The DPO invited the Sharon Adeleke, she eventually came to drop the key of the car. I told them that I could not just collect the key of the car without documentation that they gave me the key of the car without a penny, though I lost money and my car got damaged. When I said this, the DPO told me that I did not look like someone that was worth N100,000.

“He said I have no proof that there was money in the car and that all he was after was to retrieve my car keys for me. He said that if I wanted to do anything I should go to court and he ordered me out of his office. Till this moment I have not received my car keys or an apology from the singer,” Ajibola said.

When contacted on the telephone, both Davido and the Divisional Police Officer of Bar Beach police station, Fakeye Adegoke, refused to answer their calls nor did they reply the text messages sent to them.

But Davido’s publicist, Valerie Obaze, denied her client’s involvement in the incident.

“Davido has no knowledge of any incident involving the assault of a taxi driver or the illegal seizure of his car. He does not condone violence of any sort and will not be commenting on this untrue allegation,” she said via email

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide promised to get back to CRIME DIGEST with the facts of the matter later.

KSA celebrates 35yrs as King

of World Beats

Thirty-five years after he was crowned King of World Beats, juju maestro and accomplished actor, King Sunny Ade is set to celebrate. A seven-member committee has been set up to oversee the planning, and activation of the 35th Crowning Anniversary holding soon. During a meeting at Ajorosun Club in Ibadan on Sunday, Akogun Lekan Alabi was made the Chairman of the committee. Alabi was chosen following his successful packaging of Evangelist Ebenezer Obey’s 70th birthday party in Lagos two months ago. Reacting, Akogun said it was an honour and privilege to chair the planning committees of the landmark event of this music icon.. “I remember my write-ups in my weekly column in the Sunday Sketch, where I described Obey and Sunny as champions of their trade. How prophetic. I derive great pleasure in celebrating creativity and excellence. Obey and KSA are models and one cannot but be proud to be associated with them. My appointment, in a lighter mood, can be regarded as payback. May God enable my committee to achieve equal success for KSA as we did for Obey last April,” he said,. Other members of the committee are: Mr Clement Ige, of KSA Chief Bunmi Adesanya, Aare M.A. Latosa; Mr Akin Olaiya, and Barrister Gbenga Makinde.

 Nollywood Actors, Segun Arinze And Justus Esiri

Robbed In London Hotel

News reaching us from a popular online blog claims that two of Nollywoods finest actors, Segun Arinze and Justus Esiri were robbed of there personal possession in a Travel lodge hotel in Surrey.



The actors have been in London for a month now staging a theatre tour including 'The king must dance naked' and other stage plays. They have also been at the Nigeria House, Royal Theatre, Stratford, londonOn that fateful day, the actors reportedly went for their usual rehearsal. On their return, they noticed that their belongings had been tampered with. After doing a check, they discovered that some valuables have grown wings and flew away.

Segun reportedly lost his Ipad while Justus Esiri was unlucky as his international passport with various visas in it, his travelling documents, laptop, monies and several other valuables got missing.

Though the matter is said to have reported to the police, but no arrest has been made yet. We also learnt that the hotel had no CCTV cameras to capture the alleged robbery footage.

However, on Justus Esiri's lost passport, the Nigeria mission in the UK reportedly issued a new passport to him on self-recognition. This, as were gathered, was done based on his National Honours of Order of the Niger (OON) award.

Segun, Justus and other cast including Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva, Bimbo Akintola and others are expected back in Nigeria on Monday, August 6, 2012.

Police Set To Prosecute Hon. farouk Lawan

 Over $620,000 Bribe

By Benjamin onaghinor

The police are finalising plans to arraign the suspended Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the Fuel Subsidy regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, for allegedly taking a bribe,

The planned arraignment, which could take place next week, follows the conclusion of investigation into the bribe-for-clearance scandal in which Lawan was purported to have collected $500,000 from the Chairman, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Mr. Femi Otedola, to doctor the report of the ad hoc committee.

Detectives who investigated the matter are said to have finished and submitted their report to the police Legal Department for advice on the next course of action. Lawan will be arraigned along with the clerk of the ad hoc committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, who reportedly collected $120,000 from Otedola as part of the advance for the bribe-for-clearance scandal that has rocked the House.

Lawan, during the investigation, had stridently denied receiving the bribe from Otedola to alter the report, saying he collected the $500,000 as evidence that Otedola was trying to pressurise him to remove his company from the list of companies that bought foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) without importing fuel.

However, several efforts to retrieve the money from him have failed as he stuck to his tale that he gave the money and an accompanying letter to the Chairman, House Committee on Narcotic Drugs and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba.

Jagaba, though, has rebutted Lawan’s claim that he wrote a letter in which he informed him (Jagaba) of attempts to bribe the ad hoc committee and attached the money to it.

It was learnt that the police investigative team, headed by Ali Amodu, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Task Force, during the investigation, was able to gather some incriminating evidence which would be used to prosecute Lawan and Emenalo in court.

A source told B1 magazine that as at Tuesday, the team had finalised its investigation and had submitted a report to the Legal Department for advice.

The source said the Legal Department, in its response, recommended the trial of the duo.

According to the source, “Our team rounded off its investigation into Lawan's case on Tuesday and the Legal Department has advised that the lawmaker and the secretary should be prosecuted in the court of law.”

Although the source could not give a precise date on when both men will be charged to court, he said it will be next week.

When contacted for confirmation, Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), declined to speak on the matter, saying that he would only do that at "the right time."

Otedola, in his account of the incident, narrated how Lawan had approached him for bribe so that they could doctor the report in which they had accused Zenon Oil of buying foreign exchange from the CBN without importing fuel.

The ad hoc committee report, laid before the House on April 18, had listed Zenon Oil among 15 companies that collected foreign exchange without importing fuel.

The report recommended that Zenon Oil, which was said to have collected $232,975,385.13 and other marketers that obtained foreign exchange without importing petroleum products should be referred to the anti-corruption agencies to determine what they used their allocations for.

He said Lawan demanded $3 million from him to remove his company’s name from the list, but he refused to budge because he knew he had committed no crime.

However, when Lawan persisted, even telling him that he should pay up as some other oil marketers had done likewise to influence the committee, he demurred, adding that he later informed security agencies about the solicitation for bribe by the legislator.

According to him, the security agencies advised him to play along and offered to pay part of the money with the promise that he would pay the balance when his company’s name was removed from the report.

The security agencies, he added, gave him marked money which he gave to Lawan and Emenalo, without the duo knowing that the whole transaction was being recorded.
Otedola said during the sting, Lawan and Boniface collected a total of $620,000 in three instalments.

Lawan, when interrogated behind closed-doors by the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which also investigated the allegation, said what he collected was “money and not a bribe.”

Restating his earlier statement to the media, Lawan said he collected $500,000 from Otedola not as a bribe but as evidence to prove the attempt by the oil marketer to influence the report of the subsidy probe.

Ogoni declare self-government

By Benjamin onaghinor

President and spokesman of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Dr. Goodluck Diigbo

The Ogoni people of Rivers state yesterday declared their political autonomy during which they stressed that they are determined to enforce the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples without fear or retreat.

Speaking in a live broadcast on their newly established radio station, “Voice of Ogoni,” the President and spokesman of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, affirmed that “self-government within Nigeria” will secure for the Ogoni people their indigenous rights to enable them meet their needs and interests and finally end “internal colonialism”.

Diigbo further said that self-government became urgent, recognising the need to arrive at a consensus to collectively review the disputed UNEP’s Ogoniland oil assessment report, saying that any dialogue must be with the genuinely elected representatives of the people expected to enforce indigenous rights without dictation.

According to him, “Concerned that in the absence of a responsive government that the indigenous people of Ogoni will continue to suffer from historic injustices and in order to make indigenous rights practicable in Ogoni, we have, through a very transparent electoral college process, beginning with community by community elections, set up 272 village councils, while the village councils in turn elected representatives for 33 district councils and the district representatives went on to elect representatives to serve at the centre as custodians of customs and traditions, otherwise called lawmakers.

“The lawmakers in turn elected the executive arm of the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA) with checks and balances inbuilt to ensure corruption-free, effective, efficient and answerable system of grassroots self-government instead of the old, corrupt and mismanaged local government system endured by the Ogoni for decades.”

Diigbo further said that in taking the measures, the Ogoni are quite aware of the discomfort to about 56 local politicians that control local government politics in Ogoni land, adding, however, that they care more about the 1.2 million people “that have for too long been excluded.”

Diigbo announced the setting up of a transitional committee to facilitate dialogue to ensure peaceful transition within 30 days, while consultation with the national government and the international community would begin without delay.

He emphasised the need for the Ogoni to remain law-abiding and act non-violently.

Sounding a warning on what might become the response of the Nigerian authorities on this development, the Ogoni leader said: “We are acting with legitimacy to reclaim all of our rights without exception, and for the sake of peace and security; let no one test the collective will of the Ogoni people, because we will not surrender our indigenous rights anymore.”

He further said that in 1990, the people of Ogoni presented the Ogoni Bill of Rights to the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in which they non-violently demanded political autonomy to participate in the affairs of the republic as a distinct and separate indigenous unit, among other things

  Fashola signs road traffic bill into law,   Violate traffic laws in Lagos, go to jail   

By Benjamin onaghinor

IN Lagos, any motorcyclist, who carries pregnant woman, a child below the age of 12 or an adult carrying load on her head now risks three years imprisonment with community service and forfeiture of the bike, while such passengers will also be prosecuted.
Also, driving against traffic now attracts one-year imprisonment for a first offender and three years for subsequent cases, while okada riders has been barred from plying Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Apapa–Oshodi Expressway, Ikorodu Road, Agege Motor Road, Funsho Williams Avenue, Eko Bridge, Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Victoria Island-Lekki-Epe Expressway and all bridges not earlier mentioned.
Other offences that attract stiff penalties, as contained in the new traffic laws of Lagos, include driving on BRT lane; parking within 15 metres of road intersection; using sirens and other noisy devices in a vehicle; failure to wear prescribed uniform or identification tag by drivers or conductors; driving or being driven on unauthorised routes and herding cattle, sheep, goats or other animals on the road.
Other areas taken care of by the new law include driving unregistered, unlicensed vehicle or vehicle without valid identification mark, an offence which attracts a penalty of N20,000 for a first offender and N30,000 or three years imprisonment or both for repeated offences.
The law also bars articulated vehicles from entering or travelling within the Lagos metropolis between 6.00 a.m and 9.00 p.m, although fuel trucks and long passenger vehicles are exempted. Any driver who contravenes the law will have his vehicle impounded and pay N50,000 fine or be imprisoned for six months.
According to the law, it is an offence to sell alcoholic drinks, herbal or pharmaceutical drugs within 100 metres of a bus stop, terminus or motor park; hawk, vend or offer for sale any item of goods or services, or beg or solicit for alms or engage in cleaning windscreens or any part of a vehicle on the highway or bridge.
Other offences include displaying of wares on walkways, dropping or picking of passengers on fast lanes or undesignated bus-stop by commercial vehicles.
Signing the bill into law, the state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said the new traffic law would make the citizens live better, as it would make the roads safer, improve life expectancy and solve environmental, public health and safety issues.
“Many things in our lives will be improved, such as cost of food, life expectancy, health and so many. I believe that if we succeed with this law, our state will change for the better,” he said.
The law, he said, became necessary to bring back decency in the people, adding that “different people come into Lagos and we see them openly urinating and defecating on the road and this must stop.”
He warned those hanging clothes to dry on highways and bus stops to desist, adding that traffic and sanitation officers would enforce the sanitation laws.
Fashola assured the people that the law would be friendly to law-abiding citizens and allayed the fear of those who might see it as being too stringent
“For those who have expressed concern about the new law, the law is a dormant piece of paper which will not just jump on an innocent motorist in his vehicle, neither will it come into his house looking for him, rather, it is the man that always goes looking for the law,” he said.
He reiterated that as long as there is the constitutional provision that states that nobody will go to jail without undergoing a fair trial and also have a right to defend himself with a lawyer of his choice, he was sure that judges and magistrates would ensure that justice was done.
Fashola added “we have to live by some rules, rules that have worked in other dispensations, rules that we obey when we go there. It is time to really show commitment for the place that we really call home. Most of the rules read out by the Attorney-General of the state are not unique to Lagos; they are rules that operate in many cities by whose standard this state is being measured.
“They are rules that affect application of breathalyzers on drivers, driving against traffic, and trading on the road. Clearly, we have been to many of these cities and we complied. Why is it difficult to comply at home?”

Kofi Annan resigns as UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy

By Benjamin onaghinor

The United Nations(UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday announced the resignation of the UN-League of Arab States Joint Special Envoy for the Syrian crisis, Kofi Annan.
Ki-moon said: “Mr. Annan has informed me, and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Nabil El Araby, of his intention not to renew his mandate when it expires on 31 August 2012.
“I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Annan for the determined and courageous efforts he has made as the Joint Special Envoy for Syria,” Ban said in a statement at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Annan, a former UN Secretary-General, was appointed in late February to serve as the high-level representative of the Secretaries-General of the UN and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis.
He was to provide good offices aimed at bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.
Syria had been wracked by violence, with more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago.
In recent days, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
As part of his efforts, Annan put forward a six-point peace plan to help end the Syrian crisis.
The plan called for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.
“The hand extended to turn away from violence in favour of dialogue and diplomacy – as spelled out in the six-point plan – has not been not taken, even though it still remains the best hope for the people of Syria,” the UN scribed added.
He noted that both the Syrian government and the opposition forces continue to demonstrate their determination to rely on ever-increasing violence, and that, in addition, “persistent divisions” within the Security Council have themselves become an obstacle to diplomacy, making the work of any mediator vastly more difficult.